How to Photograph Car Racing

Photography Tips For Capturing High Speed Motor Sports Action

Aug 24, 2009

The speed and unpredictability of car racing places different demands on photographer's skill and equipment than normal photography.

Despite the persistent claim that the skill of the photographer is all important, the reality is that high speed auto racing requires specialized equipment to consistently capture quality images. Standard equipment for any half serious sports shooter is a DSLR digital camera.

Camera Speed

In an environment where things can happen quickly and unexpectedly any appreciable shutter lag is unacceptable. Although a fast autofocus speed is a decided advantage, sometimes manual focusing techniques yield better results. Another important aspect of camera speed is its continuous shooting capability. This is important in capturing situations, such as a crash, where the situation changes rapidly and unpredictably.

Distance

The choice of shooting position is often limited due to safety considerations making a zoom lens the preferred choice as often it is impractical to move to the best position for a prime lens. While these distances may vary they are seldom close enough for most general-use lenses, so motor sport photographers need to use long focal length lenses to get close to the action. For DSLRs with APS-C sensors a zoom with a maximum of about 400mm is a useful focal length, and with the crop factor it gives the same view as a 600mm on a full frame DSLR. These large pieces of glass are expensive but one example of a reasonably priced lens is the Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 DG HSM APO Autofocus Lens.

Available Light

Most auto racing is outdoors and the light can be variable so good high or medium ISO performance is essential. This is another reason for choosing a DSLR as the larger pixels in their sensors allow for better performance at high ISO settings than compact digital cameras.

Batteries and Memory Cards

Motor racing usually offers plenty of opportunities for photographers so spare batteries and memory cards are essential. It is not unusual to shoot five hundred to a thousand images during a day’s racing.

Monopod

Forget the hype about image stabilization, the sports photographer’s friend is the monopod. Apart from reducing camera shake their role holding those large heavy telephoto zoom lenses in position over a long days shooting is important.

Camera Bag

Out in the open a good bag is needed to hold and protect spare lenses, batteries and memory cards if the weather turns nasty. Then of course it should be comfortable for carrying the gear around all day. Choose one with an extra lens slot and use it for a drink bottle.

Shutter Speed

Capturing and portraying motion is governed largely by the photographer’s choice of shutter speed. Many photographers in other sports, such as athletics and football, work hard at choosing shutter speeds to remove any trace of motion blur. In auto racing photography some blurring of the subject is permissible. Here is more discussion on shutter speed.

Composition

There is often little time for major decisions on composition once the cars hit the track, so some planning is required. Generally the best view of a car is a three quarter front view as this adds depth and shows more of the car.

How much of the background to include in the photo is an important decision for photographers. Often the natural scenery or spectacular trackside structures provide added interest and context and framing. This requires a compromise between the standard objective of filling the frame.

To isolate the car from a boring or distracting background try the panning technique or use a shallow depth of field to throw the background out of focus.

Chase the sun around the track as auto sports photographers rarely have any control over the light so the common practice is to make sure not to shoot into the sun. This often results in loss of details producing only a dark silhouette of the car.

Be unsociable, although race meetings are a chance to chat with other photographers who share the auto racing passion, try and find a spot away from other photographers. This means the unsociable photographer can get some of the best shot of the action because it is the only one.

Access and Safety

Motor racing is dangerous so there is a delicate balance between getting the best shooting position for the picture and staying safe. Photographers need to work with officials and gain the respect that leads to access to the better shooting positions. The first step is to start at grass roots motorsport and build relationships and reputation,, great photos help. Tracks with smaller crowds and fewer photographers help in getting better positions.

Crash barriers and safety walls are there for your protection, so use them as shelter from wayward machines and flying bits of debris. Wire mesh fencing is designed to stop these flying bits but it does make photography difficult. One trick is get as close as possible with the lens right up against the fence to shoot through the hole in the mesh. Photographers should only do this where they are still behind all other safety barriers.

Miscellaneous Tips

While RAW format is usually preferred for such activities as landscape and portrait work, sports photographers often shoot JPEG to maximize the number of shots they can take in day.

Event programs are handy when reviewing hundreds of images as they contain details of race times, race names, driver and car details.

The copyright of the article How to Photograph Car Racing in Photography Techniques is owned by Philip Northeast. Permission to republish How to Photograph Car Racing in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.